Chapter One
It was so damn hot on the bus.
He shifted irritably, feeling his clothes stick both to him and his seat. He wiped sweat away from his brow, glancing at his open window. Wondering if there was any way to force it wider.
The desert raced past alongside the bus. Nothing but mile after mile of sand and sun blasted rock and the strip of road, inching its way through the heat.
Empty, desolate, barren.
He hadn't seen another car or bus, even one travelling in the opposite direction, in hours.
He shivered, in spite of the dry furnace the bus had become. Dragged his eyes away from the window, forced himself to do his job.
He had to concentrate on her. Too much depended on this. Too much and too many lives.
He caught another glimpse of the desert out of the corner of his eye. Another glimpse of rocks and sand stained red by the sun.
Stained blood red.
He shivered again and pulled the blind down over his window, the sudden sound ripping loudly through the mostly silent bus. Not that any of the other passengers seemed to notice, stricken senseless by the heat. They slumped in their seats, fanning themselves with hats and magazines, staring longingly at the fan on the ceiling, moving too slowly to do anything other than create an illusion of air conditioning.
She remained alert though.
He could see her, sitting close to the front of the bus. Still sitting upright, alert in her seat. Watching the horizon rush closer and closer to them, as if she were eager to reach her destination.
He wondered if she was as affected by the heat as he was. Wondered too, what she saw when she looked out of the window.
He had been following her for days.
She knew someone was on her trail. Had done her level best to give him the slip. She'd nearly succeeded, as well. Except he'd got lucky and managed to stick with her, to hold on to her trail. He'd been following her for days.
What the hell was bringing her all the way out here?
Michelle climbed the stairs to Tony's office. She hesitated outside his door, rehearsing what she was going to say. She glanced around CTU, looking for an excuse, any excuse, to put this off.
'This is ridiculous'. Refusing to allow herself to think any more, she knocked on the door.
Tony was on the phone. He looked up at the sound, smiled when he saw her, and signalled for her to come in.
Michelle pushed the door open and closed in gently behind her. She leaned against it, waiting for him to finish.
"We're nearly back up to speed. Yes, I know nearly is not good enough, sir, but given the size of the explosion and the losses we took, I think we're in pretty good shape." Tony looked up at her and rolled his eyes. "When? I think we should be back operating at full capacity within a month. Thank you, sir." He hung up the phone. "God save me from fucking bureaucrats!"
"Problems?"
"Not really. Just assholes at Division wanting to see why we're not back to speed yet. It hasn't been that long since the building was blown to shit around us." He took a deep breath, blowing away his frustration. "Anyway. You wanted to see me?"
Now that she was here, she could think of so many reasons to walk away. There was so much to do, so few of them to do it. Tony looked exhausted, and Jack was still on injured reserve. It wasn't fair to leave everything to him. She couldn't leave everything to him.
"It doesn't matter, Tony." She turned around and started to walk to the door.
"Michelle..."
She stopped with her hand on the door. "Yeah?"
"You okay?" He took a step closer to her, and another, closing the gap between them. He could almost smell her perfume, just tantalising his senses. "I mean, after everything? Because if you need some time or..."
She seized the opportunity he gave her. "I need some time off, Tony."
"Oh."
"I know this is a bad time, and if you need me here, then that's okay, I'll stay. I just...I need a break Tony." She looked downstairs office, still marred by the rubble caused by the explosion. "I just need some time to get my head straightened out."
"Is this because of us? Because of me?"
"What? No!" She touched his hand, and he wrapped his fingers through hers, as much contact as they dared within the confines of CTU. "I just need to get away for a bit, take some time..."
"Where are you gonna go?"
She shook here head. "I don't know yet. I'm just going to go where the road takes me, get away from LA for a bit."
He still hadn't released her hand. "How long do you think you'll be gone for?"
"Three weeks. Shit." He shifted his grip, pulling her towards him, putting his arms around her, not seeming to care who saw them. She stiffened initially, then relaxed in his embrace. "I'm going to miss you."
Inspiration struck her. "You could come with me, you know."
He though about if, then shook his head. "I can't. With Jack out... Anyway, someone has to try and keep Chapelle under control." He kissed her slowly, trying to forget about the world outside of his office for just another moment.
He released her reluctantly. "Go on, get out of here. I'll see you in three weeks."
"Thanks Tony."
"Michelle? Have a great time."
She smiled at him as she left the office, and he held on to the image of her smile for as long as he could.
It was going to be a long three weeks without her.
Two hours later, she drove north from LA, the top down, the stereo blasting. Drumming her fingers on the steering wheel. It had been a long time since her last vacation.
She was looking forward to this so much.
"Just tell him that unless he changes his policy, I'm going to keep trimming his bills as they come through my legislature." He listened intently. "I don't care how many votes they bring, or how many votes I'm risking. The things those people are doing are utterly inhumane, and I cannot, in conscience, support them, or offer support to those who are supporting them. Well I'm sorry you feel that way." He hung up the phone and handed it to the woman facing him in the back seat of the limo. "No more calls, please Jennifer."
"Yes sir."
"I just want a nice, relaxing, vacation." He settled back into the plush seat of the car, lifting his scotch from the drinks holder it had been carefully wedged into. "Especially after recent events."
The phone beeped again. He groaned and hid his face in his hands. Jennifer smiled at his response and answered the phone. "One moment please." She pressed the silence button. "It's your wife, sir."
He groaned again and took the phone from her. "Yes dear? I'm on my way now, just a few..."
"When does he get here?"
"Tomorrow"
"Is everything set?"
"Yes."
"Is there...anything you need me to do?"
"Just watch and learn, my friend. Just watch and learn."
"Thank you." Michelle handed the bell boy a $20 bill and waited until he left the room before sinking down on the bed. She about just crawling into it, but decided on a drink first. She walked over to the mini bar and poured herself a glass of wine, holding some ice to the back of her neck. She glanced at the phone and snatched it from the cradle, dialling hastily.
It rang once. "Almeida."
"Hi Tony, just me."
His voice became instantly more alert. "Hey Michelle. Where are you?"
"A place called Nixon, it's in Nevada. Scenery is really something, Tony, really spectacular."
"Maybe we'll get to go there together some day." His voice wistful.
"I hope so. Listen Tony, I'd better go. I've been driving for the past couple of days, I'm pretty beat."
"Night, Michelle. I miss you already."
She smiled at his tone. "Night Tony."
The receiver fell silent and she stared at it a moment before hanging up.
The End of Chapter One.
It was so damn hot on the bus.
He shifted irritably, feeling his clothes stick both to him and his seat. He wiped sweat away from his brow, glancing at his open window. Wondering if there was any way to force it wider.
The desert raced past alongside the bus. Nothing but mile after mile of sand and sun blasted rock and the strip of road, inching its way through the heat.
Empty, desolate, barren.
He hadn't seen another car or bus, even one travelling in the opposite direction, in hours.
He shivered, in spite of the dry furnace the bus had become. Dragged his eyes away from the window, forced himself to do his job.
He had to concentrate on her. Too much depended on this. Too much and too many lives.
He caught another glimpse of the desert out of the corner of his eye. Another glimpse of rocks and sand stained red by the sun.
Stained blood red.
He shivered again and pulled the blind down over his window, the sudden sound ripping loudly through the mostly silent bus. Not that any of the other passengers seemed to notice, stricken senseless by the heat. They slumped in their seats, fanning themselves with hats and magazines, staring longingly at the fan on the ceiling, moving too slowly to do anything other than create an illusion of air conditioning.
She remained alert though.
He could see her, sitting close to the front of the bus. Still sitting upright, alert in her seat. Watching the horizon rush closer and closer to them, as if she were eager to reach her destination.
He wondered if she was as affected by the heat as he was. Wondered too, what she saw when she looked out of the window.
He had been following her for days.
She knew someone was on her trail. Had done her level best to give him the slip. She'd nearly succeeded, as well. Except he'd got lucky and managed to stick with her, to hold on to her trail. He'd been following her for days.
What the hell was bringing her all the way out here?
Michelle climbed the stairs to Tony's office. She hesitated outside his door, rehearsing what she was going to say. She glanced around CTU, looking for an excuse, any excuse, to put this off.
'This is ridiculous'. Refusing to allow herself to think any more, she knocked on the door.
Tony was on the phone. He looked up at the sound, smiled when he saw her, and signalled for her to come in.
Michelle pushed the door open and closed in gently behind her. She leaned against it, waiting for him to finish.
"We're nearly back up to speed. Yes, I know nearly is not good enough, sir, but given the size of the explosion and the losses we took, I think we're in pretty good shape." Tony looked up at her and rolled his eyes. "When? I think we should be back operating at full capacity within a month. Thank you, sir." He hung up the phone. "God save me from fucking bureaucrats!"
"Problems?"
"Not really. Just assholes at Division wanting to see why we're not back to speed yet. It hasn't been that long since the building was blown to shit around us." He took a deep breath, blowing away his frustration. "Anyway. You wanted to see me?"
Now that she was here, she could think of so many reasons to walk away. There was so much to do, so few of them to do it. Tony looked exhausted, and Jack was still on injured reserve. It wasn't fair to leave everything to him. She couldn't leave everything to him.
"It doesn't matter, Tony." She turned around and started to walk to the door.
"Michelle..."
She stopped with her hand on the door. "Yeah?"
"You okay?" He took a step closer to her, and another, closing the gap between them. He could almost smell her perfume, just tantalising his senses. "I mean, after everything? Because if you need some time or..."
She seized the opportunity he gave her. "I need some time off, Tony."
"Oh."
"I know this is a bad time, and if you need me here, then that's okay, I'll stay. I just...I need a break Tony." She looked downstairs office, still marred by the rubble caused by the explosion. "I just need some time to get my head straightened out."
"Is this because of us? Because of me?"
"What? No!" She touched his hand, and he wrapped his fingers through hers, as much contact as they dared within the confines of CTU. "I just need to get away for a bit, take some time..."
"Where are you gonna go?"
She shook here head. "I don't know yet. I'm just going to go where the road takes me, get away from LA for a bit."
He still hadn't released her hand. "How long do you think you'll be gone for?"
"Three weeks. Shit." He shifted his grip, pulling her towards him, putting his arms around her, not seeming to care who saw them. She stiffened initially, then relaxed in his embrace. "I'm going to miss you."
Inspiration struck her. "You could come with me, you know."
He though about if, then shook his head. "I can't. With Jack out... Anyway, someone has to try and keep Chapelle under control." He kissed her slowly, trying to forget about the world outside of his office for just another moment.
He released her reluctantly. "Go on, get out of here. I'll see you in three weeks."
"Thanks Tony."
"Michelle? Have a great time."
She smiled at him as she left the office, and he held on to the image of her smile for as long as he could.
It was going to be a long three weeks without her.
Two hours later, she drove north from LA, the top down, the stereo blasting. Drumming her fingers on the steering wheel. It had been a long time since her last vacation.
She was looking forward to this so much.
"Just tell him that unless he changes his policy, I'm going to keep trimming his bills as they come through my legislature." He listened intently. "I don't care how many votes they bring, or how many votes I'm risking. The things those people are doing are utterly inhumane, and I cannot, in conscience, support them, or offer support to those who are supporting them. Well I'm sorry you feel that way." He hung up the phone and handed it to the woman facing him in the back seat of the limo. "No more calls, please Jennifer."
"Yes sir."
"I just want a nice, relaxing, vacation." He settled back into the plush seat of the car, lifting his scotch from the drinks holder it had been carefully wedged into. "Especially after recent events."
The phone beeped again. He groaned and hid his face in his hands. Jennifer smiled at his response and answered the phone. "One moment please." She pressed the silence button. "It's your wife, sir."
He groaned again and took the phone from her. "Yes dear? I'm on my way now, just a few..."
"When does he get here?"
"Tomorrow"
"Is everything set?"
"Yes."
"Is there...anything you need me to do?"
"Just watch and learn, my friend. Just watch and learn."
"Thank you." Michelle handed the bell boy a $20 bill and waited until he left the room before sinking down on the bed. She about just crawling into it, but decided on a drink first. She walked over to the mini bar and poured herself a glass of wine, holding some ice to the back of her neck. She glanced at the phone and snatched it from the cradle, dialling hastily.
It rang once. "Almeida."
"Hi Tony, just me."
His voice became instantly more alert. "Hey Michelle. Where are you?"
"A place called Nixon, it's in Nevada. Scenery is really something, Tony, really spectacular."
"Maybe we'll get to go there together some day." His voice wistful.
"I hope so. Listen Tony, I'd better go. I've been driving for the past couple of days, I'm pretty beat."
"Night, Michelle. I miss you already."
She smiled at his tone. "Night Tony."
The receiver fell silent and she stared at it a moment before hanging up.
The End of Chapter One.